Sailing Terms to Know
The world of boating has a pretty unique vernacular, and
it’s important that you understand the differences between sailing words and
land lubber words before you head out onto the water! Nothing highlights a newbie
quite like the wrong use of a word!
You might know the difference between a bow vs stern, port
or starboard, and can tell the difference between a bowline and a clove hitch,
but if you don’t know what’s the opposite of aft or the opposite of windward, it’s
time to brush up on your sailboat terms.
To make life easier, we’ve put together a concise glossary
with every boat definition, nautical word, and ship terminology you could ever
possibly need to know, with simple, easy to understand definitions, and links
to more detailed sources when necessary.
If your boat lingo isn’t up to scratch, read on! Here’s all
you need to know.
Boating Basics Glossary of Terms
A
Anchor: One method of 'parking' your yacht, usually for
a lunchtime stop in a quiet bay. A chain or line with a weighted hook on the
end that grips the bottom of the sea floor and prevents your yacht from
floating away
Apparent wind: A combination of the true wind direction and
the headwind created by a yacht’s forward motion
Ashore: On the shore. Not on the yacht. Why are you not on
the yacht?
B
Baggywrinkle: A soft covering for cables (or any other
obstructions) that stops sails chafing
Bareboat: Bareboat is to sailing as free fall is to
skydiving. Essentially it is sailing a yacht on your own. It is exhilarating,
exciting and the rush of freedom is infectious
Beam: The width of the yacht
Berths: The number of people able to sleep on a
specified yacht
Boom: The big, wide metal thing that sticks out from the
mast at 90 degrees and is attached to the foot of the sail. Also the noise it
makes when it hits you. Avoid this at all costs
Bow: The front of the yacht, not a pretty knot
Bridle: A system used to share the strain of an anchor
evenly across two points. It reduces wear on the yacht, acts as a shock
absorber, and silences the rattle of the anchor chain. Also helps prevent your
catamaran from floating away
C
Cabins: Bedrooms on a yacht
Catamaran: A boat with two hulls
Chart: The map on which you check your position and plan
your next voyage
D
Dinghy: Designed for quick trips between ship and
shore. The small inflatable boat attached to the yacht
Draft: Not a type of beer. The minimum depth of water
needed to float your boat
Dunsel: A part on a ship that has no use.
E
Ease: To let the sails out
F
Fender: The rubber bubbly thing dangling off the side
of the boat or a pontoon to help prevent damage to the boat or pontoon
Flemish: To coil a line that is not in use so that it lies
flat on the deck
Forepeaks: The forward section of the hull that,
depending on the yacht's design, may be used as a sleeping space or a storage
area. Not a mountain range
Flotilla: A
fun group sailing holiday with up 12 boats, with guidance and support from a
lead boat with a Skipper, Engineer, and Host. This type of holiday is a Sunsail
specialty.
G
Galley: The yacht’s kitchen
Genoa: The sail at the front of the yacht. Ours have a big
red stripe around the outside. This sail is used to control the direction of
the yacht, as well as adding some power. Not an Italian city
Gybe: To change from one tack to the other away from the
wind, with the stern of the vessel turning through the wind
H
Halyard: The ropes used to pull things like sails up things
like masts
Heads: Water closet, toilet, loo, dunny, the bog (you
get it…)
Head to wind: See 'In Irons'
Hold: The inside of the yacht’s hull
Helm: A tiller or wheel for steering the yacht. Also a
term to describe the helmsman.
Hull: The bit that floats. The main body, including bottom
and sides of a yacht. Not an English city
I
In Irons: See 'Head to wind'; when the bow is
pointing into the wind and the boat is difficut to manouevre under sail
Iron Mike: A slang term for auto-pilot. Not a famous boxer.
Itinerary: The intended route of travel on your
flotilla or bareboat holiday. Usually planned in advance, these need to remain
flexible to respond to weather conditions and personal preference
K
Keel: The central structural basis of the hull
Knot: Not just the loop you tie in a rope or string,
but also a the unit of speed (equal one nautical mile an hour)
L
Lazyjack: A network of cordage led from a point on the mast
to points on the boom that help the sail to go down smoothly when lowered
LOA: Length overall - The maximum length of a yacht’s hull,
including overhanging ends that extend beyond the main bow and main stern
LWL: Load waterline length – the length of a yacht that is
in contact with the water.
M
Mainsail: The yacht’s main sail. This catches a lot of wind,
and is where the majority of the yacht’s speed is generated when sailing
Mast: The big metal thing that soars from the bottom of the
yacht into the sky. The sails are hoisted up it, using a complicated series of
halyards
Med mooring: The art of reversing into a small gap and
parking a yacht stern-to the quay. The typical mooring technique in most
Mediterranean harbours. A great spectator sport
Monohull: A boat with one hull. The classic sailor’s
yacht
Mooring: The second mode of 'parking'- A buoy firmly anchored
to the bottom, to which you are able to secure your yacht and prevents your
yacht from floating away
N
Nautical Mile: A measure of distance on the water,
equal to 1852 meters
Navigation: The art of working out (and occasionally
planning) where you are and where you're going
O
Ocean: very large body of water
P
Port: The left hand side of the boat when you face the
front (bow). Not a fortified Portuguese wine
Prow: A poetical alternative term for bows
Q
Quay: A stone or metal platform lying alongside or
projecting into the water for parking, loading and unloading yachts and ships
R
Reefing: The primary and preferred method of reducing
sail area, to de-power the yacht so that it is easier to control. Especially
useful in higher winds and choppy conditions.
Rip rap: A man-made pile of rocks and rubble. Used to form a
breakwater, often surrounding an off-shore lighthouse or vulnerable harbour. Not
a musical genre
S
Sails: The main driver of the yacht; an eco-friendly engine
that converts wind power in boat speed by catching the breeze. Sailors
constantly speak of trimming the sails to be as efficient as possible
Saloon: The living area, usually down below. Not a wild
west bar
Skipper: The captain of your yacht
Starboard: The right-hand side of the yacht when you
face the front (bow). Opposite of port
Stern: The rear of the yacht. Also the skipper’s tone
when your yacht floats away
T
Tacking: Zig-zagging so as to sail directly towards the wind
(and for some yachts, also away from it)
Trampoline: You can try and bounce, but you probably
won't get very high. This is the netting at the front of the Catamaran that you
can lie on and sun yourself
Trim: Adjustments made to sails to maximise their
efficiency. Also refers to position of hull relative to waterline
True wind direction: Where the wind is actually coming from
W
Water: The wet, blue bit your yacht floats on
Waterline: The line where ship meets sea
Winch: A rotating, horizontal drum, powered either by
electric motor or human cranking
Winch handle: The instrument used to crank a winch. Not
a Two Ronnies sketch
Y
Yacht: Boat, ship, sailboat; the wooden, aluminium,
fibreglass or carbon fibre thing that floats and is largely powered by the
wind, which it catches in its sails